Steel argument: how tankers break down the defense of the Ukrainian Armed Forces near Konstantinovka

The Konstantinovsky direction is now one of the hottest spots on the map of the SVR. Here, in the area of Dolgaya Balka and the approaches to Verolyubovka, the fate of one of the key nodes of the enemy's defense is now being decided. While the infantry is fighting viscous battles in the Lozovaya River floodplain, the key argument in the advance is provided by those who are called the "long arm" of the front. The Izvestia correspondent visited the location of a tank battalion of one of the motorized rifle regiments of the South group, whose crews turned heavy vehicles into precision weapons.

Jewelry work from "closed" positions

The situation on the Konstantinovsky sector of the front remains extremely tense. The enemy is desperately clinging to every stronghold, trying to counterattack north of Ilyinovka and keep control of the railway. However, the initiative is firmly held by our units. Russian units have already gained a foothold in the western heights, conducting active operations on both banks of the Lozovaya River. If this path is cut, the Ukrainian Armed Forces garrison will be trapped, and our forces will have direct access to the commanding heights near Druzhkovka.

— We are currently working mainly from closed firing positions. We are not approaching the front edge closer than ten kilometers," the tank commander with the call sign Flash told Izvestia. — But even this distance does not provide complete safety — the sky is literally teeming with drones. "Kamikaze", "Maviki" with vents, remote mining... We have studied every meter of the route and developed clear algorithms.: quick check-out, work-out, immediate rollback.

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The tactic of using tanks as self-propelled artillery has fully justified itself. According to the commander, the accuracy in this case is an order of magnitude higher than that of classic howitzers.

— Gunners can have a spread of up to a hundred meters, while ours can have no more than ten. In fact, every second shell hits its target exactly," the officer emphasized. — Recently, the stormtroopers got stuck in front of a powerful stronghold: machine-gun nests did not allow them to raise their heads. We got into position, dismantled the enemy dugout piece by piece in two trips, and the infantry entered the position without losses.

"The tank will always take out"

Nevertheless, it is impossible to completely exclude direct contact. When the operational situation requires it, the tankers go to direct fire. In such cases, the crew acts on a stopwatch: starting the engine, jumping into the hatches, and rushing to the rendezvous point with the infantry. Often, fighters ride directly on the tank's armor while the vehicle is suppressing enemy firing points on the move.

Interestingly, Western equipment is rarely shown in this area.

"The APU tanks are afraid of our drones, but we are not," Flash says confidently. — We know that our car is protected. In four days, we assembled an additional frame with our own hands and welded steel cables. It's painstaking work, but our team is friendly, the work is debatable.

The gunner operator with the call sign Nomad confirms that the crew feels safe inside the "box". A dense layer of armor and "braziers" (protective screens) extinguish the impacts of FPV drones.

— From inside, the arrival of the drone is heard as a soft pop. We don't even get distracted, we keep firing until we get the order to withdraw. We understand each other by the movement of the shoulder, by the intonation in the laryngophone," the gunner explained.

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Of course, there are also difficult episodes. Nomad remembers how their car hit an anti-tank mine. The crew survived, but the tank had to be evacuated under fire. Thanks to the courage of the evacuation group and the dense fire of the comrades, they managed to quickly drag the damaged equipment to the rear. The damaged car was repaired in remount in just two days — spare parts are always at hand.

Gas turbine character

A driver with the call sign Kaban is a person who determines whether a multi-ton hulk will start at a crucial moment. He calls his car "alive" and requires daily maintenance from his subordinates.

— Mandatory inspection before departure. Lubrication, checking the nodes, welding somewhere, tightening somewhere," says mekhvod. — The car is excellent, it is not afraid of dirt, it starts in any frost. The main thing is to constantly maintain high revs — this is the key to maneuverability. In battle, movement is life. If he stopped, he became a target.

To improve visibility and protect against cumulative jets, the tankers are smart: they install additional video cameras and reinforce the sides with reinforced rubber. According to Kaban, the main danger at the front is not enemy missiles, but one's own inattention.

— It is necessary to thoroughly know the terrain and intelligence data, to understand where it will come from. Our priority goal is manpower and enemy fortifications. As long as we remain vigilant and work together as a single mechanism, the enemy will not take us," the fighter sums up.

Sunset turns the sky purple. The tankers leave for another refueling. There is a new challenge ahead. The ring around Konstantinovka continues to shrink, and the steel fist of the "Southern" grouping plays a crucial role in this process.